Strong cultures flourish when organisations do three things.
And weak ones prevail when they don’t.
Values are a powerful tool for defining culture.
Many organisations have them. But they can be little more than dusty, faded wall decorations.
Here’s how to use your values to build a strong culture…
1. Select values that uniquely define your culture
Instead of the usual things like honesty and teamwork, pick values that set your culture apart. Honesty and teamwork matter, but they’re so basic that they should be expected of everyone without writing them down.
2. Translate values into concrete actions
Pick one value and spend 30 minutes with your team brainstorming a one pager list of specific actions and behaviours that will turn the abstract value into concrete specifics.
3. Live your values
Share your one pagers with everyone. And talk about them. Repeatedly. Then call people out for doing the right thing. Recognise when someone acts in alignment with the values. Tell them why. Thank them.
Want to create a strong set of values for your team?
Our Strategic Planning Toolkit includes a straightforward process for developing organisational or team values in a brief workshop format.
